How to resolve a wrestling match in a RPG session?

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

One of the characters has a background as a professional wrestler. So my decision as GM is to feature a wrestling match with this character. To avoid the other two characters having nothing to do during that time I have planned to let them take the role of the two colour commentators during the wrestling match. As those two players are absolutely not familiar with wrestling and it´s terms I have come up with the idea of writing approximately two A4 pages (maybe more) of dialogue for the two commentators to tell the audience, and ultimately for everyone at the gaming table, what is really going on in the ring. Of course there will be many instances of funny comments and insults as one of the commentator would be pro-Face and the other one pro-Heel.

Would this be a good idea to resolve it in such a way? Or is it unfulfilling for a RPG player to read a text and not come up with his own ideas? Commentating a wrestling match in an entertaining way is a task which not even former wrestlers can do very well so, if I would just assume they could somehow manage it I might set them up for failure and it will sink the whole session and the mood at the table.

[Mazer Rackham]

3 hours ago, Deus_Ex_Machina said:

One of the characters has a background as a professional wrestler. So my decision as GM is to feature a wrestling match with this character.

 

Sounds like a good use of a background. IMHO, You've got good instincts regarding your Players-vs-the idea.

 

All suggestions - take with salt/fire/ignore or delete as applicable.

 

I'd be careful about having guys who don't care about wrestling doing commentary. If they're not into it, they might as well just have you read it all, as they won't have any enthusiasm. What I would suggest is consider where and why the bout is happening. Is it a show of strength in a dive bar type establishment in a hive? Is it in front of Spire Nobles?

 

There's a lot of things you can do here dependent on your setup.

 

For example - the commentary should be done by two NPC's, who wind up the barely contained followers of each side. Have money riding on it - or if Nobles, then prestige, etc. The ring is a focus point, but it becomes a brawl. Think about when wrestling gets crazy, and you end up with folks coming into the ring to help, tag in, smack each other with metal chairs. Your other Players job is now to have the wrestlers' back.

 

Have the colour commentary describing all three Players as they tussle in the square-circle, maybe even having certain moves or brutal actions giving favour from the crowd. Have fun with it.

 

Maybe they've gone there to meet a contact, and now, they have to get him/her out safely as a riot is going off!

 

Perhaps if it's a Champion of a Spire, one of your Players overhears how the trainer is going to 'nobble' the fight and poison the Wrestler, or otherwise hamper him. Now they have an investigation - who is the cheat? What are they doing? Maybe by helping here they buy a favour from a patron.

 

The Wrestler gets his limelight, and the others keep involved, in an orbit around the wrestler. They're all integral. Without the wrestler, there's no-one to do the bout. Without the supporters in his corner, the wrestler is taken out.

 

If you want to keep the other Players near the ring, you could have them making bets, shouting encouragement to give Assistance (bonuses) and pulling his beaten crash mat of a body out of the ring if need be!

 

Essentially, your Players' preferences can still be catered to your idea.

 

Edited September 15 by Mazer Rackham

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

All characters are soldiers. Thus the wrestling match is a fixed fight to improve morale of the troops just as the WWE did in Afghanistan. This plot has been chosen to dive deeper into one of the character´s past in order to characterize him in more detail as also a few NPCs show up who are in charge of the event. These character plots are scheduled for the future for all characters.

[Mazer Rackham]

Ah, ok - with it being a secure environment, it's a bit trickier...

 

I think the best way forward is to ask your Players how they want to resolve it, tell them what your ideas are, and let them give you feedback on it.

 

They might come up with something pretty special.

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

After some consideration I have dropped the idea entirely. Sometimes it´s best to come up with something, write it down and put it in the drawer over night. Then on the next day read what you came up with before and the material might not look so good anymore. It´s simply too long and people will get bored. So I will do it like on TV. The show starts, the two commentators are on the screen and introduce themselves. Then they make a joke in reference to fan mail they received and the segment continues. There will be descriptions of the entrances of the two wrestlers in question and when the match is supposed to start something unexpected will happen.

 

Going through the motions of even a short wrestling bout would be tiresome. And there are even specialized Wrestling RPG games out there. I wonder how they solve the issue of doing a dozen arm drags without it getting stale for the rest at the table.